The Key to Hope for the New Year
New beginnings can be both exciting and intimidating. Whether it is a new job, the start of a new year or living in a new city, there are unknowns associated with a “fresh start”. There is potential for both blessing and hardship, for growth, for challenges and rewards. Often the way one feels about the start of something new is largely impacted by how they feel about what preceded. If your focus at the close of 2025 was on how you grew and the good things that took place, you are more likely to be looking forward with anticipation to this new year. If instead, your attention is drawn to the disappointments or failings of the completed year, it is more likely that you will enter the new year with discouragement and anxiety. I find it helpful to acknowledge both the challenges that caused pain and those that felt rewarding. Strength can be drawn from both as well as wisdom and reliance. If there are regrets associated with ending a year or things that remain unresolved, it...